Unpredicatbale as it can get – Indian Super League Season II Preview!

ISL Season II Preview

 

ISL is as unpredictable as it can get, says Saji Pillai. Read on.

Indian Super League became the fortune changer of the Indian football from the first season itself. This became the fifth popular league in the world and first in Asia according to number of viewers watched that in stadium. It turned out to be most complicated league in the world as there is no hot favorite, any team can be champions. The results of the matches have been quite unpredictable.

Summary and chances of teams are detailed :

 

Atletico De Kolkata: Team shows professionalism and with their marquee player Helder Postiga they will advance well in the league. But retaining the championship is going to be difficult for them. Primarily because of two reasons. All other teams have strengthened up this season, and have also brought in much younger players. Hume will fuel their attacks and fill the void of Fikru.

 

Kerala Blasters: Last season KBFC appeared with a weak team and surprised every other fancied teams with their ground support. This time they have a well balanced team filled with young blood. Most of their overseas players are from England and some of them have EPL expreience. In Carlos Marchena they have a veteran marquee player. Fuelled by their great ground support KB will turn out to be a nightmare to play against for all teams this season too.

 

Chennayin FC: According to me, Chennayin FC was the best team previous year. They lost the service of Djemba Bjemba but have added couple of more quality foreigners that will boost their performance and they will be a great threat this season too.

 

Delhi Dynamos: Strongest team on paper with some big names. Malouda and Riise will still pose threat against any team. Apart from them, the team doesn’t look to be a great one. This paucity of quality could be a constraint for their ambitions.

 

FC Pune City: The best team this season according to me. But veteran players will be prone to injuries and this could hamper their chances.

 

Mumbai city FC: Do not fancy much chance for them, but they can upset anybody on their day. Anelka and Sunil Chhetri combination will be a treat to watch.

 

North east united FC: North East United have made some great signings this season. The team comprising former Portuguese international Simão Sabrosa, Senagalese striker Diomansy Kamara and a host of Indian players from NEUFC will look to improve upon their performance from last season.

 

FC Goa: Zico managed FC Goa has a host of Brazilian players in their ranks including former Brazil international Lucio. For me, this team looks the weakest. But Zico is a highly experienced coach and has cherry picked his team for this season and it might just click for them.

 

Parting Shot : ISL season will be unpredictable. Every team has strengthened and no in special. Anyone can become the champion.

 

North, East, South, West: Indian Super League Season II preview

ISL Season II Preview

 

Second Season of ISL is going to be even more exciting says Mariadon Pathaw. He previews the 2nd season for Football News India.

The season one of the Indian Super League was a major success and surpassed the expectations. Who would have ever imagined such a huge turnout for the matches? Thanks to relentless marketing through traditional channels and Social media, crowd thronged each and every venue across the nation to back their teams. Another important factor was the celebrity owners from cricket and bollywood. They too played a part in wooing the crowd to the stadium. Excellent packaging from Star Sports helped the telecast being a hit on Television as well with millions tuning to watch the matches.

The buzz created by the league in the first season has helped it in grabbing the attention of sponsors for the second season. In terms of sponsorship, various brands have renewed their deals with the teams while some, after witnessing the huge success of season one, have entered the fray. Some of the brands associated with Indian Super League teams include HTC, McDowell’s, Garnier (NEUFC,; Fair and handsome, HRX (Pune city fc), Muthoot Pappachan Group, Prime Meridian (Kerala Blasters), Ozone group (Chennaiyin FC), and  Ace Group (Mumbai City Fc)

In terms of revenues from sponsorship ISL made around Rs.55 crore last season and is expected to double for this year. Second season of ISL has attracted various new sponsors and official partners. Reports have appeared that Flipkart, HP Enterprise and Imperial Blue have signed on as official partners, DHL as the logistics partner and Volini as the official pain relief partner. Maruti Suzuki and Amul has renewed sponsorship with ISL. Apart from these, Pepsi is the official pouring partner, Puma the ball partner and Muthoot group the refereeing partner.

The preseason kicked off outside the country with only Kerala Blasters opting to train in India. The preparation for the season was carried out in countries such as South Africa, Dubai, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Spain and Turkey because of the lack of proper facilities in India. Football needs to evolve in the country.

Let us take a look of the player recruitment and most importantly, the marquee signings.

North East United, Hero ISL, Indian Super league, Season, 2, II, Football, Soccer, League, India

NEUFC lacked attacking masters in the first season and finished rock bottom. So, in order to enhance their goal scoring results, NEUFC has recruited Simao Sabrosa, a Portuguese international, as their marquee player. With the experience of Simao, I believe he will be the mastermind in mentoring the young lads of North east. Diomancy Kamara, a former Portsmouth, Fulham and West Brom Albion player will lead the line for the North East outfit.

Among the Indian Players, Aiborlang Khongjee is expected to cement his place at the defense along with Kondwani Mtonga. Rehenesh TP who had an outstanding season last time will have to compete for a spot between the posts with Bengaluru Fc’s L. Ralte and Gennaro Bracigliano. New recruits Sanju Pradhan and the talented Seityasen Singh will play an important role at the heart of midfield. Other players include Cedric Hengbart, Silas, Bruno Arias, Miguel Garcia, Nicolas Velez, Gennaro Bracigliano, Francis Dadzie, Boubacar Sanogo, Robin Gurung, Alen Deory, Boithang Haokip, Holicharan Narzary,Zohmingliana Ralte, Marlangki Suting, Raju Yumnam, Reagan Singh and Siam Hanghal.

Atletico De Kolkata, Hero ISL, Indian Super league, Season, 2, II, Football, Soccer, League, India

The reigning Champions have Helder Postiga as their marquee player. This 33 year old Portuguese International will be lined up as a lone striker in the Playing XI and he knows exactly what is being asked of him. Singing the hardworking Ian Hume will be definite boost for the team. Syed Nabi had a forgettable season one and is all set for a new beginning. Denzil Franco, Josemi and Arnab Mondal were crucial for the champions last season and will be expected  to repeat the same feat this season.

Josemi will lead the side after renewing his deal with the club. The other  players in the ATK squad are Rino Anto, Kunzang Bhutia, Arata Izumi, Lalchchawnkima, Amrinder Singh, Valdo, Sameeh Doutie, Javi Lara, Juan Calatayud, Tiri, Jaime Martinez, Nallappan Mohanraj, Baljit Sahni, Nadong Bhutia, Seikh Raja, Sushil Singh, Clifford Miranda, Ofentse Nato, and Augustin Fernandes.

Chennayin FC, Indian Super League, Season 2, II, ISL, Hero

The first Indian player to score in the ISL, Balwant Singh, is a deadly threat up front and with the presence of the Indian International Forward, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Chennaiyin looks all set to showcase their Indian talent. Not to forget, Fikru Lamessa also joined Chennaiyin Fc! So imagine the situation where Balwant, Fikru, Jeje and the top scorer Elano all playing together in a 4-3-3 position, managed by the Italian legend Materazzi. Chennaiyin is all set to tear the defence of any team. Bernard Mendy with his unforgettable goal in the first season is a fan favourite.

Godwin Franco has been amazing during his stint with Royal Wahingdoh Fc and will be an important figure in the midfield. Karanjit Singh is expected to start between the posts while Manipuri Thoi Singh will be a force to reckon with in the midfield. The team comprises of Abhishek Das, Dhanachandra Singh, Harmanjot Khabra, Jayesh Rane, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Apoula Bete, Alessandro Potenza, Manuele Blasi, Cristian Hidalgo, Eder Fernandes, Mailson Alves, Raphael Augusto, Bruno Pelissari, John Mendoza, Dhanpal Ganesh, Zakeer Mundampara, Lalhmangaihsanga, Justin Stephen and Nidhin Lal.

Kerala Blasters, Hero ISL, Indian Super league, Season, 2, II, Football, Soccer, League, India

Kerala Blasters had an amazing first season with former England goal keeper David James as manager. In season 2, however KBFC will not have the services of David James. They have appointed English manager Peter Taylor to guide them. Former East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan will assist Peter Taylor. Michael Chopra is no longer part of the side and  the team has a host of promising Indians in the line up like CK Vineeth, Mehtab Hossain, Shankar Sampangi, Cavin Lobo and Mohammed Rafi.

Carlos Marchena is the marquee player and is definitely the man to watch. In his career he has played for top Spanish clubs like Sevilla, Benfica, Valencia, Villareal and last played for La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna until the end of 2013-2014 season. Cavin Lobo who scored two important goals against FC Goa last season for the champions ATK will be an added advantage to this runners up side. Main man at the heart of defence will be Sandesh Jhingan who had a brilliant outing against Iran in the World Cup qualifiers. He has the potential to become the best defender in the country if he stays away from injury and become more consistent. Sandesh will retain his place in a back line that will also have Gurwinder Singh and englishman and former Newcastle United player Peter Ramage. KBFC conceded a paltry nine goals last season and they will look to continue the same trend this season as well. Other members in the team include Peter Carvalho, Sandip Nandy, Shilton Paul, Stephen Bywater, Rahul Beke, Ishfaq Ahmed, Josu, Ramandeep Singh, Saumik Dey, Chris Dagnall, Marcus Williams, Sanchez Watt, Antonio German, Bruno Perone, Victor Forcada, Joao Coimbra and Manandeep Singh

FC Goa, Hero ISL, Indian Super league, Season, 2, II, Football, Soccer, League, India

FC Goa’s coach Zico has brought in a lot of Brazilian talent to Goa for this season. They have some exciting Indian players too in the squad. Lucio, a World Cup winner with Brazil will be their marquee player. Zico, who also announced his candidacy for FIFA’s Head position, also have the likes of Jofre, Reinaldo and Gregory Arnolin in the team. Darryl Duffy,who has been brought in from the Goan I-league team Salgaocar has the experience of Indian football and knows what it takes to fire the team to victory. He along with Reinaldo, a former PSG player,could make a big impact this season.

Exciting Indian youngster Romeo Fernandes will look to replicate his exploits in the first season which earned a rather calamitous foreign move. Other Indian talents at Zico’s disposal are  Joaquim Abranches, C Sabeeth, Debabrata Roy, Raju Gaikwad, Luis Barreto, Keenan Almeida, Nicolau Colaco, Denson Devadas, Laxmikant Kattimani, Narayan Das, Bikramjit Singh,Mandar Desai, Pronay Haldar, T Haokip and Victorino Fernandes.

FC Pune City, Hero ISL, Indian Super league, Season, 2, II, Football, Soccer, League, India

Pune City FC has roped in two exciting players who were outstanding for their clubs in the 2014-2015 I-League season- Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Jackichand Singh.

Eugeneson Lyngdoh, the Shillong lad, who created history during the recent ISL auction is one of the best player in India at the moment, after having won the midfielder of the season award in the I-League. Ene is calm and cool and has already been praised by the Head Coach David Platt, a former Manchester City asst manager.  Eugenson’s form will be very crucial for FC Pune City’s title ambitions. Besides Eugeneson in the midfield will be  I-League’s player of the season Jackichand Singh who scored some amazing goals for Royal Wahingdoh FC.

Fc Pune city have a strong team with some  big names in Yendrick Ruiz, Adrian Mutu, Tuncay Sanli and former Indian national team mainstays Lenny Rodrigues and Gouramangi Singh. Pune looks very strong as an attacking force. The team is composed of  Arindam Bhattacharya, Dharamaraj Ravanan, Pritam Kotal, Israil Gurung, Manish Maithani, Fanai Lalrempuia, Govin Singh, Lalit Thapa, Sushanth Mathew, Bikash Jairu, Gurjinder Kumar, Wesley Verhoek, Kalu Uche, Tuncay Sanli, Didier Zakora, Diego, James Bailey, Nickey Shorey, Steve and Roger Johnson.

Mumbai City FC, Hero ISL, Indian Super league, Season, 2, II, Football, Soccer, League, India

Mumbai City Fc has got a goal scoring machine in Nicolas Anelka. The Frenchman, with his experience in various football leagues around the world, will be very crucial for the team this time around too. His mentoring of younger players in the team will also play a crucial role in Mumbai FC’s campaign this season. Along with Anelka, Sunil Chhetri will be leading the line for the Mumbai outfit. This is going to be mouth watering prospect, if you add Sony Norde into that mix. Sunil Chhetri bagged the highest price in the player auction when he was sold for 1,20,00,000 and he is also the first Indian to have scored 50 goals for the country. Where as Sony Norde set ablaze I-league with his skills for Mohun Bagan last season.

Sunil Chhetri has already said that it is privilege to play and train with Anelka and is equally appreciative of Sony Norde’s talent. Subrata Pal, who is known as the Indian Super Man will have to improve upon his 1st season performance under the bar to guide Mumbai FC’s title challenge. Other Indian players in the squad include Rowilson Rodriguez, Ashutosh Mehta, Subhash Singh, Keegan Pereira,Pratesh Shirodkar,Brandon Fernandes, Gabriel Fernandes, Lalchhuan Mawia, Debjit Majumder, Sampath Kuttymani, Albino Gomes. Foreigners include Frantz Bertin, Cristian Bustos, Frédéric Piquionne, Selim Benachour, Juan Aguilera, Sony Norde, Aitor, Andre Moritz, Pavel Čmovš, Nicolas Anelka and Darren O’Dea

Delhi Dynamos, Hero ISL, Indian Super league, Season, 2, II, Football, Soccer, League, India

According to me Delhi Dynamos will be the most exciting team to watch with a host of talented players in their squad.Roberto Carlos is the man handed with the responsibility of firing the team to glory.Experienced wingers Malouda and Riise will play a massive role in the fortunes of Delhi Dynamos this season. National team striker Robin Singh will be hoping to get over his recent goal drought and fire for the team.

The team is shapes up well with experienced defenders like Anwar Ali and Anas in their lineup.  Delhi has other talented indian players like  Francis Fernandes, Seiminlen Doungel, Sehnaj Singh, Naoba Singh,Robert Lalthlamuana, Gunashekar Vignesh, Zodingliana Ralte, Souvik Chakraborty,Prabir Das and Shylo Malsawmtluanga in their squad. Subhasish Roy, Toni Doblas and and Ravi Kumar will fight for spot between the posts. Delhi Dynamos are strongly the favourites to win the title. It will be lovely to watch stars like Robero Carlos, Malouda and Riise combine to produce magi.  I can’t wait to watch Roberto Carlo’s free kick! Other foreign players in the team are Serginho Greene, Chicão, Vinicius Ferreira De Souza, Hans Mulder, Adil Nabi, Gustavo and Richard Gadze

To wrap things up, a whopping sum of Rs. 7.22 crore was spent on ten players in the ISL auction for Indian players, with Sunil Chettri becoming the highest priced player for Rs. 1,20,00,000 and Eugeneson Lyngdoh coming second with Rs.1,05,000.Every team in the league has added new foreigners to the line. The second season is going to be an even more thrilling one.
ISL season 2 we are all waiting for you. Come on India! Let’s football.

Delhi Dynamos starts grassroots initiative

Delhi, Delhi Dynamos, ISL, Indian Super League, IMG, Reliance, IMG-Reliance, Football, India, Indianfootball, Den Networks, sameer manchandaIn line with its philosophy of creating a difference in the sphere of sports, especially Soccer. Delhi Dynamos Football Club today announced the launch of a novel initiative to take football to the grassroots by tying up with schools of National Capital Region of Delhi. This initiative is of utmost importance to Delhi Dynamos, as it will help identify, nurture and train talent. It will also provide the necessary   platform to the talented young children across Delhi/NCR & the North region. Under this programme, Delhi Dynamos will organize training camps and inter-school tournaments and create opportunities for the young generation. The campaign will kick start with the first ever Junior Dynamos Inter-School Championship, a 7-a-side football tournament, to be played in 4 zones of Delhi/NCR across 3 different age categories (U12, U14 & U17).

Delhi Dynamos FC, Founded and developed by DEN Soccer Pvt. Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of DEN Networks Ltd.), will compete in the Indian Super League (ISL) for top honors against other clubs from India.

LtoR StepbyStep VS DPSThe first leg of the junior championship will be played from 19th-22nd August at Jaypee Sports Complex, Greater Noida and Ajanta Public School, Gurgaon. It will feature the top schools from East Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida and Gurgaon. A week later, action will shift to DDA Sports Complex, Vasant Kunj & Ganga International School as the young prodigies from schools of Central, South, North & West Delhi will showcase their football skills. The Zonal Champions of the Junior Dynamos Inter-School Championship would then get the opportunity to play at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium training ground as they face each other in a knockout format to seize the ultimate crown – The Junior Dynamos School Champion.

While these players will attack and defend on the field, the Junior Dynamos Scouts will constantly analyze their performance to select the best 100 players (U14 & U17) to be trained under the Junior Dynamos Coaches for the next 2-months on full scholarship. These young players will then play in the Junior Dynamos Elite League at JLN Stadium training ground during ISL match days.

Based on the performance, Scouts would then select the top 30 players (U14) who would form the Delhi Dynamos Youth Team. The chosen stars will undergo a 6-month long training program under the Junior Dynamos Coaches on full scholarship. These players will represent Delhi Dynamos in Youth Leagues across India. Scouting exercise will also continue for the U17 FIFA World Cup 2017 – India Dream Team.

Junior Dynamos City Championship

With a mission to identify talented players and train them using international methods, the Club will also organise the Junior Dynamos Inter-School City Championship at Chandigarh, Dehradun, Jaipur & Kanpur in North India. These inter-school championships will be played in the months of September, October and November 2014.

Junior Dynamos Train the Trainers Program

The success of a footballer’s career depends on the quality of coaching imparted by his gurus. Delhi, Delhi Dynamos, ISL, Indian Super League, IMG, Reliance, IMG-Reliance, Football, India, Indianfootball, Den Networks, sameer manchanda, grassrootsWith an aim to create the next generation of specialized football coaches and equip them with all necessary tools to produce top quality players, the Club has put in motion the Junior Dynamos Train The Trainers initiative. Under this exclusive program, the Junior Dynamos Coaches will conduct a series of 2-day workshops for over 100 P.E. Teachers in Delhi & NCR throughout the year.

Commenting on the Junior Dynamos program, Mr Piyush Goyal, Head new Initiatives-DEN Networks & Director-DEN Soccer, said: “Aligning with schools is the best way to identify and promote talent and football is no exception. We are kick starting this elaborate campaign across NCR and four other cities in the very first edition of ISL .We have seen the passion for Football growing by leaps and bounds. There is raw talent & energy in the youngsters and we are here to channelize this energy. I am confident that with guidance from top notch coaches, and our commitment, these players will surely make a mark at various levels including international tournaments.”

World’s Tallest Footballer Kristof Van Hout to Play for Delhi Dynamos

Delhi Dynamos FC today announced the signing of Belgian Kristof Van Hout for the inaugural season of the Hero Indian Super League. An accomplished goalkeeper, Van Hout played for Belgian powerhouse Kristof Van Hout, Delhi Dynamos, Football, Indian Super League, ISL, IMG, Reliance, Racing Genk, Belgium last season.

With the signing of Van Hout, the New Delhi based club has made a fine addition to one of the most vital positions in football. At 6ft10 (2.08m), he also has the distinction of being the tallest professional football player in the world, making him an imposing figure at the goalpost. At the age of 27, he is at the peak of his footballing prowess and will have plenty to offer to the club.

Van Hout burst on to the scene in 2008, becoming the hero of Kortrijk after saving three penalties in the shootout against league champions Standard Liege to help his team progress to the Quarterfinals. This earned him a transfer to none other than Standard Liege itself, with whom he won the Belgian Cup in 2010-11. Van Hout was on the bench for Liege’s matches in the Champions League, including two games against Premier League giants Arsenal.

In 2012, Van Hout made the move to another Belgian superclub, Racing Genk, one year after the club sold prodigious talent Thibaut Courtois to Chelsea. That season, Van Hout led Genk to a 3rd place finish in the Pro League, earning them a place in the Europa League. He also won his second Belgian Cup.

Van Hout will arrive in Delhi fully fit and raring to go. He featured in the Europa League for Genk as recently as February 27 of this year, playing the full 90 minutes against Russian club, Anzhi Makhachkala.

Commenting on his inclusion in the Delhi squad, Van Hout said, “I am eagerly looking forward to playing in India, which has a sizeable fan following for the game of football. I am confident that it will be an enjoyable and fruitful experience to play in Indian conditions.”

On Van Hout joining the team, Delhi Dynamos FC Coach Harm van Veldhoven said, “Van Hout is a seasoned player, who has contributed immensely to his teams in the past due to his fine goalkeeping skills. We are sure that he will display the same alacrity and judgement when defending Delhi Dynamos’ goalpost. His height is a big advantage, especially in close games that go down to penalty shootouts.”

Kristof Van Hout has added to the already impressive line up of international talent assembled at the Delhi Dynamos under the guidance of fellow countryman Harm van Veldhoven. The club has signed prolific strikers Mads Junker and Morten Skoubo, as well as experienced Belgian defender Wim Raymaekers following their strategic tie up with Feyenoord Rotterdam.

Dutch Coach for Delhi Dynamos?

As we reported earlier,

The Delhi franchise of the upcoming Indian Super League, Delhi Dynamos was unveiled today.  They unveiled the team name, the team philosophy, anthem and the Delhi Dynamos’ alliance with Feyenoord Rotterdam at an event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the home stadium of the Dynamos. There was no announcements regarding the coach or players.Delhi, Delhi Dynamos, ISL, Indian Super League, IMG, Reliance, IMG-Reliance, Football, India, Indianfootball, Den Networks,  sameer manchanda

Harm van Veldhoven, Delhi, Delhi Dynamos, ISL, Indian Super League, IMG, Reliance, IMG-Reliance, Football, India, IndianfootballNow the Dutch media is abuzz that Harm van Veldhoven a Dutch-Belgian coach whose last stint was with KV Mechelen, a team in the top tier Belgian league. Earlier Danish media had reported that forwards Morten Skoubo & Mads Junker will be joining the Delhi ISL franchise. Harm van Veldhoven was associated with these players during their stints with Roda and Mechelen